The Last Real Hot Rod To Win The GNRS?
June 2021 • Photos courtesy the Martin Family, Mike Harrington
Presented by HandHFlatheads.com & MicksPaint.com
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing the Grand National Roadster Show, its one of my favorite events and the best off its kind. Nor am I criticizing any of the past or future winners, I’m just asking the hypothetical question ‘Is the Martin Special the last real hot rod to win America’s Most Beautiful Roadster?’ Why? Because this is not your average show winner: It has all the right ingredients: history, provenance and the current owner, architect Dave Martin, has run it in events far and wide from the Silver State Classic to the hill climbs of Europe.
Dave Martin’s first roadster was this channeled Model A, the exhaust inspired his latest build.
Dave’s Roadster began life as a 1930-31 Model A that was not everybody’s choice—most preferring the slightly svelter ’28-’29. Dave and his wife Mary purchased the Roadster in 1982 from a ranch in Borrego Springs, CA after seeing it advertised in a newspaper. It was channeled, powered by a flathead Ford V-8, and painted Candy Apple Red with white tuck 'n' roll upholstery. It was more street than hot rod, however, roll cage mounts and some snaps for a canvas belly pan indicated there might be some history attached.
Dave decided to swap the flattie for another flattie fitted with rare Riley SOHC heads and four Strombergs. Sadly, that combo did not last long but long enough to make the cover of the Feb. '86 issue of Street Rodder magazine. The Riley, proving unreliable, was exchanged for the original flathead but that too went kaput—within two weeks.
Done with the flatheads, Dave swapped in a tri-powered 350 ci Chevy. Feeling the car was now reliable Dave went on the first Hot Rod Power Tour from the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles to Norwalk Raceway, Norwalk, OH. In fact, he did Power Tour twice.
After driving the heck out of the car, Dave began looking for a new direction and around 2014 decided on a total rebuild by Scott Bonowski’s Hot Rods & Hobbies, Signal Hill, CA. “How do you take an engineering approach,” said Dave. “More of a holistic approach and make the car handle better. How do you make the car safer, perform well to be able to be very controllable, good brakes, good steering. If we could do that maybe we would inspire other people.” Dave and Scott looked to the cars of Frank Kurtis, famed California racing and sports car builder, to see how to make a hot rod handle.
“I thought the proof of the concept would be to do something off-highway in a race and that was the Silver State; I’ve never had so much fun. That was fantastic. The car worked well and you can go as fast as you can down the highway.” In 2017 the bare metal bolide covered the 90-mile course north on Nevada highway 318 at an average speed of 101.5057 mph. “It’s proof of concept,” concluded Dave.
The Martin Special is a combination of old and new technology. It rides on an original ’32 Deuce frame fitted with a drilled I-beam front axel located by four-bar links with Steve Moal-designed torsion bar front suspension and Bilstein shocks.
Immediately after the Silver State, the car rolled back into HR&H for a complete transformation from road racer to show car for the 2018 GNRS. With 15 entrants for the coveted America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award (AMBR) there was tough competition. Bonoswski and his crew, sometimes numbering 15, had less than four months to achieve the transformation. Achieve it they did winning the coveted 9-ft trophy with one of very few modern AMBR winners that has actually been raced.
From California, it was on to Bowling Green, KY for the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year final at the 13th Nashville Nationals. The competition included a blast down the famed Beech Bend Raceway where Dave turned a respectable 8.156 in the 1/8th.
The fat lady didn’t sing yet, though, and soon the roadster was on its way to the UK for a photo shoot for Octane magazine. It was then on to Switzerland where Dave and members of his family were to compete in the Bernina Gran Tourismo St. Mortiz to Poschiavo hill climb—a challenging 3.4 miles (5.7km) asphalt snake that slithers through the mountains from La Rösa to Ospizio Bernina. With a starting elevation of 6,138 ft, there is a 1,500-ft climb over the course of 50 tight corners that test even the most seasoned Alpine driver. Dave covered the distance in 4:25:70—an excellent time considering racecars such as a GT40 do it in 3:20.
Unfortunately, due to a paperwork glitch the Martin Special was allowed to compete for time only. Frustrated by the glitch, the organizers awarded the Martins a special Best Racing Family Award for their effort. The Roadster is now back home in southern California where Dave drives it as often as he can.
So, is it the last real hot rod to win the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award? It’s certainly a real hot rod in every sense of the term, but I hope it won’t be the last and that Dave’s dream to inspire others is realized.
Scott Bonowski’s crew of Hot Rods & Hobbies, Signal Hill, CA
Vehicle: 1931 Ford Roadster
Owners: David and Mary Martin
Engine
• Engine: 401 ci all aluminum Brodix
• Builder: Ed Pink Racing Engines
• Bore & stroke: 4.126 x 3.75
• Horsepower: 500 hp at 5,400-5,600 rpm, 493 ft-lb of torque
• Pistons: CP Piston
• Rods: Scat
• Crank: Scat
• Cam: Comp Cams, hydraulic roller
• Heads: Edelbrock Victor
• Intake: Borla 8-stack with Edelbrock control
• Ignition: Magneto style, EPRE modified for Edelbrock EFI sensors
• Headers: Gerome Rodela, Rodela Specialty Fabrication
• Trans: Richmond 5-speed
• Frame: 1932 Ford
• Wheelbase: 106 inches
• Front suspension: Torsion bar
• Design and fabrication: Steve Moal
• Front axle: Drilled and dropped I-beam
• Front shocks: Bilstein SN2 Series monotube
• Front brakes: 11-inch vented SO-CAL front discs
• Steering: Unisteer Performance rack-and-pinion
• Rear axle: Winters V-8 quick-, Wedgelock limited-slip diff, straight-cut, six-spline gears
• Rear location: Triangulated 4-link
• Anti-roll bar: Speedway
• Coil springs: PAC Racing coil springs
• Rear brakes: Wilwood
• Body: 1931 Ford Roadster with handmade suicide Model 40-style doors
• Grille shell: ’32 Ford shortened 1-inch
• Hood: Aluminum, 3-inches longer than stock
• Radiator: Mattson’s custom
• Headlights: Guide
• Mirrors: '50s-style Radyot repro
• Taillights: Lucas
• Interior: Mark Lopez, Elegance Auto Interiors
• Instruments: Redline Auto
• Paint: Axalta Cleveland Blue
• Painter: Scott Bonowski, HotRods & Hobbies
• Wheels: Custom made Halibrand style
• Tires: Excelsior Stahl Sport Radials 5.50R16 (front), 7.00R17 (rear)
